Question for Tom (and/or others)

We are looking to do garlic knots and cinnamon knots.
I have worked out a good procedure but it will be time consuming on busy nights when we will sell most.
Garlic knots = strips of dough about 6" x 3" and liberally coated with garlic butter. Then twist them adding garlic butter as you go. When finished again coat and place on baking paper and put through the oven with pizzas. They come out great. Serve with aioli, sweet chilli or white garlic dipping sauce.
Cinnamon knots = same size dough strips. Make a watery mix of water and icing sugar and baste dough. Liberally sprinkle cinnamon powder and then twist dough, basting and sprinkling cinnamon as you go. Final baste with a less watery mix. Dust with icing sugar cinnamon mix after cooking.
What I need to know is if I can pre-make these and wrap in foil and freeze. Will the freezing affect the dough.
On busy nights making these will take up precious extra time and pre-making them lends to the dough blowing up quite substantially, hence the pre-make/freeze method.
Dave

Dave;
Unless you have some aversion to refrigerating the rolls, both can be made (par-baked) ahead of time and stored in a large plastic tub or bag in the cooler, then as you need them, just remove and place on a screen or disk for the finish bake, then garnish in your normal manner. The problem with freezing (yes, it can be done) is that the rolls must be slacked out/thawed and given some proof prior to baking which all takes time. The par-baked approach allows you to build an inventory and use (finish bake) directly from that inventory.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

Dave…we take a 18 oz. DB, elongate it & cut it into 8 strips…

The we do a modified pretzel twist & proof on parchment/sheet pan…

Run it thru the conveyor, cool & wrap 4 in foil…

We reheat as needed, in a perf pan & a screen on top, so as not to get foil in the blower…

When they come out, we smother in our super secret garlic goo, re-wrap & put in styro w/a side or sauce…

Dave…we take a 18 oz. DB, elongate it & cut it into 8 strips…

The we do a modified pretzel twist & proof on parchment/sheet pan…

Run it thru the conveyor, cool & wrap 4 in foil…

We reheat as needed, in a perf pan & a screen on top, so as not to get foil in the blower…

When they come out, we smother in our super secret garlic goo, re-wrap & put in styro w/a side or sauce…

Thanks for the reply Tom.
No I don’t have an aversion to refrigeration, just didn’t consider it.
How long can they keep in refrigeration and how much par baking is required?
I take it as they are par baked the final cooking will require them to be placed part way in the oven (MM PS 360 conveyor) to avoid overcooking/burning.
Can they be stored in refrigeration without par cooking for any length of time?
Thanks for answers
Dave

Dave;
I like to par-bake the rolls just until they begin to develop some color (about the color of sand) Due to the possibility of mold growth I don’t like to hold them under refrigeration for more than a week, or more than 3 or 4-days at room temperature. I go with 3-days if the room is warm (75F+) or 4-days if it is cool (under 75F). Another great appetizer is dipping bread. I like to use a lightly oiled,14-inch deep dish pan. Using scrap dough accumulated during the day, or use fresh dough, or a combination of fresh and scrap dough, scale into 16-ounce pieces and form into balls, set aside to proof/rise at room temperature until the dough balls can be easily opened into skins that will fit into the 14-inch pans. I like to use a sheeter or rolling pin in this application since it results in a more even crust. Allow the panned dough to proof/rise for about 60-70-minutes, then par-bake (usually about 4-minutes). Remove from the pan after baking and cool on a pizza screen, place into bread/bun bags or store bulk in food safe plastic bags. To use, cut each bread in half, brush with melted butter and sprinkle lightly with shreadded Parmesan cheese, bake to melt the cheese and reheat, brush again with a commercial garlic butter, sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, using a French knife or rocker knife cut into finger strips about 1.25-inches wide and serve. Variations: Brush with plain butter only after baking, cut into strips and serve with balsamic vinegar /olive oil as a dip. To make as a dessert, before placing the parbaked crust in the oven, brush with butter, sprinkle generously with cinnamon and sugar, bake to reheat, sprinkle again with cinnamon/sugar mixture, cut into fingers and serve with a small cup of dipping icing (Powdered sugar, water and vanilla mixed together. Use just enough water to make a very thick icing, store in a covered container at room temperature, or hold in a warmer like you would Marinara sauce. This is also a great way to use old dough that you might otherwise toss out.
Tom Lehmann/The Dough Doctor

Thanks Tom
Will give your ideas a go
Dave